Are the Giants playing for 2nd or 3rd place in the NL West?
The Giants have put themselves in a position to compete, but other teams in their division have, too.
Aug 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team flags showing the current standings of the National League West division fly above the bleachers before the game between the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images This past Wednesday, Brady posted the latest SB Nation Reacts poll question of which of their non-Dodgers NL West Division rivals are the bigger threat this season, and now we have that result. What are the motivations for this poll response?
It’s an important question. Do they see the Diamondbacks as a likely second place team or are they more likely to wind up third as they did last season? In that case, the Giants would be competing to avoid a repeat of fourth place.
Or, did voters simply look at the field and vote based on which team they thought could be the biggest threat to the Giants clinching second place in the division? If we focus on the notion of fan optimism, then we’re led to the conclusion that it’s a battle for second place and, presumably, a Wild Card berth. I’m not sure I can travel that far down the road of optimism, however, as the National League playoff field seems awfully competitive on paper.
If you figure the Dodgers are the NL West champs (which is no sure thing, because baseball is usually not so predictable), the remaining five teams could be from an extensive group of teams: the Mets, Atlanta, Philadelphia, the Marlins Cubs, Brewers, Reds — heck, the Pirates are 5-3 of this writing. The Giants, Padres, and Diamondbacks don’t seem to be on the same level as most of those teams (Pirates & Marlins being the most obvious exceptions for the moment). But after seeing San Diego up close, it makes sense that a lot of voters concluded (either just by watching the Giants play them or by their knowledge of the team’s off-field situation in terms of finances, but also prospect capital) that they simply aren’t the threat they once were and especially when compared to the Diamondbacks who… lost a game 17-2 this past week and were then shutout the next night.
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